


with honours

by watergator



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 12:44:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21271256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watergator/pseuds/watergator
Summary: dan wants to go back to university





	with honours

He’s staring at the webpage so hard and so focused that he doesn’t notice the cup of tea being handed to him until Phil’s clearing his throat at him. Dan looks up with a sympathetic smile as he takes the mug in his hands; it’s warm and comforting and smells like something almost fruity and new.

“Studying hard yet?” Phil asks, sitting himself down next to Dan. He folds his legs under himself just like he always does, looking so cosy in a jumper that somehow swamps his giant body and Dan has to resist the urge to close his laptop and crawl over to him.

Instead, Dan hums and looks back at the webpage that’s glowing at him, almost menacingly.

At the top of the page reads: 

_ BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics. _

They’re words that Dan knows and understands, and actually had a good idea what they entail, but they still scare him a little bit. He feels like a kid going back to school after summer had ended, opening up his text book and not knowing what the words on his paper say or mean because he’s frightened he’s forgotten it all.

His gut twists inside of him, a strange feeling of anxiety bubbles up there. 

He’s biting on his lip when he looks back at Phil.

“It says here the course takes at least six years to complete if I go part time,” he speaks, his voice sounds unsure and nervous, but Phil sips at his own tea and smiles and makes Dan feel less scared.

“You work well on your own time table,” Phil tells him, and it’s true — Dan  _ does  _ work better on his own schedule and his own terms. He always has done.

“So if you think you can do this course then maybe part time will be good for you,” he adds.

Dan looks back at the screen, scrolling back down to reread the course information he’s sure he’s read over a billion times already.

“It says I have to work in groups with people,” Dan huffs, looking back at Phil who playfully rolls his eyes at him.

“It’s not as if you’ll be in a room with these people,” Phil tells him with a shake of his head. “You’ll probably just be in a group chat or something.”

Dan hums. He supposes Phil has a point.

The entire idea of doing online university was that it’d be easier for him; a more flexible lifestyle that wouldn’t hinder any of the other important things in his life. He could study from home and not have to worry about travelling to campus and meeting with people that might already know who he is. He wouldn’t have to worry about that here, on his sofa with Phil making him tea.

He’s looking at the page again, reading over stages and credits and requirements and he can feel a headache already burning behind his eyes when he feels a finger poke him in his cheek.

He looks at Phil, his tight expression relaxes and it already feels a little less painful.

Phil’s smiling at him.

“You’ll go all wrinkly if you keep looking like that,” Phil warns him with a soft voice, his lips are twitching into a smile and Dan knows he’s doing his best to undo the knot he’s gotten himself into.

He sighs and closes his laptop, pushing it off his legs. His tea doesn’t feel all that warm anymore and when he sips it he makes a face.

“It’s a weird flavour, isn’t it?” Phil says before Dan can even open his mouth. “I’m crossing it off the list,” he says, leaning forward and putting the mug on the coffee table. Dan does the same.

“Christmas pudding flavoured. Kinda gross sounding, should have expected that. I wonder if there’s real raisins mixed in with that?”

Phil’s rambling on about tea when Dan leans over and slumps himself over him like a cat, getting him to stop what he’s saying almost immediately. His head is happily cushioned on his thighs and it doesn’t take long for Phil’s fingers to find their way into his curls.

“Are you being a stressy head?” Phil asks quietly.

Dan just hums. The feeling of Phil’s gently touch against his scalp is easing away all the tension there. It’s not making it go away completely but it helps.

“You know you don’t have to do this,” Phil starts but Dan cuts him off with a heavy sigh.

“But I  _ want _ to do it, Phil. It’s supposed to be something new for me to do. Something different. Get my brain active, y’know?”

There’s a beat of silence before Phil’s humming in agreement.

“I just don’t want your head to explode is all,” he says quietly.

Outside the traffic below them is muffled and far away sounding and Dan only wants to exist in this space right here right now, pretending like nothing else except them matter or exist.

“My head  _ is  _ going to explode. I don’t want to go through with it all and end up giving up again,” Dan tells him.

Phil’s fingers are still working their way through his curls when he speaks.

“I like your head so don’t blow it up please. And as for the whole dropping out thing just remember that the whole point of this is doing new things, even if they don’t work out.”

Dan blows out air through his nostrils and smiles even though Phil can’t see. 

“I’d still like to have this work out,” he tells him. “I kinda wanna do this. For real.”

With that, Phil’s pushing him up off his lap and Dan’s blearily blinking at him. He’s not sure when he started feeling so tired but he guesses the one sip of warm drink and the snuggle up he just had probably had something to do with it.

“Then do it,” Phil tells him, looking right at him. 

“You’re well smart, Dan, and I think if you wanna learn about politics and philosophy and whatever then go for it! It sounds interesting and smart and you’re both those things so I think if it’s something you want to do then you should. If it doesn’t work out then that’s okay too. But you shouldn’t let it hold you back because of what you’re afraid might happen, otherwise you’ll never let yourself go, y’know?”

Dan smiles at him, his heart feels warm and mushy in his chest right now.

“You think I could do it? Even if I took a bit of time away from YouTube would you be able to deal with all that? Me going MIA?” 

Phil reaches out and brushes away a rogue curl that’s flopped over near his eye. The touch is gentle and caring.

“You can do whatever you put your mind to, and I’ll support that no matter what. I’m like, Dan cheerleader number one,” he grins.

Dan laughs, loud as well and squints at Phil who has his tongue trapped between his teeth and a giggle escapes him. He’s such an endearing being.

“Okay fine,” Dan tells him. “I’ll do the course, I think…. it’s something I want to do. And since you mentioned being a cheerleader that means I will be getting you the skirt and the pompoms,” Dan tells him, a cheeky waggle of his eyebrows.

Phil shrugs, a grin creeps across him.

“Fine by me. I got the legs for it baby, so go get your degree and I’ll sit by and look pretty for you.”

Dan reaches over, a hand comes around and pulls Phil in before kissing him on the forehead quickly before letting him go.

“You’re more than just a pretty face, you know that?” Dan tells him.

Phil gives him a smug look and shrugs. “I know, I have multiple qualities that some say are just utterly charming.”

Dan rolls his eyes and him and opens up his laptop again, it comes back to life with the same webpage.

They’re both looking at it when they look back up at each other and their eyes meet.

“You’re smart no matter what, okay?” Phil reminds him, reaching out and wrapping his hand around his, giving it a quick squeeze.

Dan lets out a breath. “Yeah. I love you, idiot.”

Phil’s face softens. “I love you too. Now, about this philosophy course, I’m not saying you should write about me because it has my name in the title, but what I’m saying is I should be your muse for every essay you ever write.”

Dan snorts a laugh and shoves him away, letting him flop against the arm of the sofa with a squawk and a giggle.

Dan’s still smiling when he presses the register button. 

And it doesn’t feel all that scary anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr !! @ watergator


End file.
